DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — Officially, the 2017 Kia Sportage will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Sept. 15. Recently, however, I was allowed to put a number of camouflaged test mules through their paces. The drive entailed hot weather testing in Death Valley, along with driving exercises at the company’s California City Proving Grounds. It made for an interesting exercise – one that served to showcase the fourth-generation crossover in a favourable light.

Stylistically, it was difficult to tell what the new Sportage looks like, given the camouflaging. Early photos show a sportier take on the two-box design, especially the GT Line with its more aggressive look and twin tailpipes. There are also some interesting light treatments; the fogs are LED and it would appear the top-of-the-line car gets LED high beams.

One thing was very obvious: it is larger. The new Sportage earns a 30-millimetre stretch in the wheelbase (now 2,670 mm), with more space throughout including the cargo area, which raises capacity from 465 to 503 litres and features 60/40-split folding rear seats. At long last the privacy cover now stows in the trunk when not in use. There is also more headroom in all positions, which was one of the needed improvements.

2017 Kia Sportage

Handout, Kia

2017 Kia Sportage

Handout, Kia

2017 Kia Sportage

Handout, Kia

2017 Kia Sportage

Handout, Kia

2017 Kia Sportage

Handout, Kia

2017 Kia Sportage

Handout, Kia

Inside, the Sportage testers marked a radical departure. The interior now mirrors the quality of the higher-end Sorento, with a dash panel that’s far more advanced than the outgoing model. The test cars featured an eight-inch touchscreen and infotainment system complete with an Infinity sound system, rear-view camera and navigation. Again, the move to an upscale cabin was evident in the rest of the equipment — power 10-way heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, a panoramic moonroof, adaptive cruise control, lane departure and blind-spot monitoring, along with cross-traffic detection to go along with the front/rear sonic parking sensors. It’s an extensive list for a mid-level crossover.

The rear environment has been reworked to great effect. The floor is now lower without affecting ground clearance while the seat has been raised, which brings a more natural seating position. Finally, the cabin is now noticeably quieter, and this in spite of the padded camouflaging wrapping the body — it fluttered at speed. The thicker side glass, extra sound insulation and better isolation between the mechanical bits and the cabin equate to a two-decibel reduction in road noise.

2017 Kia Sportage

Mechanically, the test vehicles were polar opposites. The first was the base front-wheel drive iteration with a 2.4-litre engine – 182 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque – teamed with a six-speed automatic and paddle shifters. As a powertrain it was up to snuff. At the opposite end of the spectrum was the new 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, sporting 177 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,500 rpm. Married to the same automatic and a reworked version of Kia’s Dynamax all-wheel drive system, it proved to be a much speedier ride. It also remained unfazed by the altitude changes along the drive route. This engine will be the mid-range motor for the 2016 Kia Optima, which also debuts in Frankfurt. When the Sportage lands in Canada, however, it will arrive with the same entry-level 2.4-litre engine, but with a more powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged four in lieu of the 1.6-litre. With 265 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. at 1,850 rpm, it adds considerably more scoot to the drive.

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The Sportage also gets Kia’s Drive Mode selector, which offers Eco, Normal and Sport modes. The tests were conducted in Sport, as it delivered the crispest driving feel.

The all-wheel drive system comes with a lock mode and downhill descent control. On an off-road jaunt at Kia’s proving grounds, the system worked flawlessly. The descent control system inched the Sportage downhill slowly, while the all-wheel drive system saw it pull through a cambered corner with the right rear wheel in the air. There was also remarkably little traction control intervention given the sandy environment, which speaks to how quickly the power is shuttled around.

2017 Kia Sportage

By far the biggest step forward is found in the ride and handling characteristics. The outgoing model handled nicely, but it was somewhat taut in the ride department. The new Sportage is much more refined. Regardless of road condition there was very little kickback to the riders. The extensively reworked suspension and much stiffer body bring a decidedly decent ride on- or off-road; the amount of ultra-high-strength steel in the body jumps to 51 per cent from 18 per cent, improving the body’s torsional rigidity by a massive 39 per cent.

On a brisk highway run, the ride was cosseting, yet carving the tight canyon esses saw the Sportage hunker down and deliver a level of composure that easily rivals the best the segment has to offer. Likewise, the reworked steering brought better feel and feedback from the oversized P245/45R19 wheel/tire package on the top-level model. There is an underlying sportiness to the crossover’s road manners that make it a fun drive.

The latest Sportage takes some significant steps in the right direction. It has a much crisper feel to its drive, yet it’s more comfortable. There was also a healthy dose of refinement and lots of equipment. How things finally shake out trim by trim (expect the range to run from LX and SX, as before) will not be known until closer to the Canadian launch in spring 2016. However, based on this early drive, it’s safe to say the fourth-generation Sportage represents a much bigger threat to its rivals.